Council’s vote sends messages to Legislature, Arizona and us

San Antonians who’ve been troubled by the increasing hate-filled debate over immigration in Arizona — and everywhere else in the country, for that matter — are probably relieved, maybe even proud, of Thursday 8-3 vote by San Antonio’s City Council.

The moderately written resolution denounces Arizona’s SB 1070, which authorizes local police to check a person’s “papers” if they suspect them to be in the country illegally and if they are stopped on another violation. Scheduled to take effect later this month, it is viewed by legal experts as unconstitutional and by civil rights activists as racial profiling. Its divisiveness has fueled other anti-immigrant, anti-Latino moves. Arizona, for example, has banned ethnic studies and teachers with accents from teaching English.

In such a climate, the council’s vote sends several messages to the Texas Legislature, Arizona and, more importantly, its own citizens: That San Antonio doesn’t want the state of Texas to follow Arizona’s lead.

Councils in Austin and El Paso have passed similar resolutions. The list of other U.S. cities against Arizona’s measure continues to grow, so does the list of legal and civil-rights organizations against the law. Legal challenges, including one from the U.S. Justice Department, are under way.

That council’s three North Side representatives — John Clamp, Elisa Chan and Reed Williams — voted against the resolution illustrates how divisive the issue is on racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and political party lines.

And that the council’s first immigrant voted “no” was especially troubling. Latino voters aren’t likely to forget that. Reporter Josh Baugh’s story said, “Chan, the first immigrant to sit on the council and the first to publicly oppose the resolution, was silent during the meeting and left the chambers without speaking to reporters.”

Columnist Scott Stroud noted that if the trio expected a groundswell of support, it didn’t surface during the meeting. He also noted, that “it was sad to see the North Siders fumble a chance to unite behind a perfectly moderate stance.” A few San Antonians did speak against the resolution. They were all white, “and mostly from the North Side.”

Thankfully, the ugliest rhetoric didn’t surface at council. But it is out there.

Remember last summer’s townhall meetings on health-care reform?

Remember the Tea Party rallies?

If you’ve read any online commentary on the subject, you’d know there are too few people discussing the problems — and benefits — of illegal immigration in rational ways. Online, where people are most anonymous, there’s no limit on hate.

Here’s a link to a site that’s keeping track of governmental bodies against SB 1070 and organizations working against it.

Paso have passed similar resolutions. The list of other U.S. cities against Arizona’s measure continues to grow, so does the list of legal and civil-rights organizations against the law. Legal challenges, including one from the U.S. Justice Department, are under way.